Will Taylor – Editor of SUP the Mag talks Paddle Surfing

Episode 31 of the Paddlewoo Podcast features the Editor and Jefe of SUP the Mag, Will Taylor. Will is a lifelong surfer, growing up on the Oregon coast, and has moved into the standup world in the last few years. He’s been with the mag for 3 years and took over command this year.

In this episode we discuss:

How he sees the SUP world from his vantage point as head of one of the largest media organizations

How Surfer and Surfing Mag (both owned by his parent company) see standup surfing

I think we’re seeing our first plateau on the race scene. Things are settling out because races are difficult to run, they cost a lot of money and there are many hats in the ring. That said, I think there’s still plenty of room for growth as more people get into the sport.

As I mentioned in the podcast, I think our challenge as an industry moving forward will be to convert people who have one board and SUP occasionally into more frequent paddlers, no matter what discipline they prefer. Race, surf, whitewater, touring, whatever.

It’s been said many times before but I think what will give SUP staying power is the inland market. It’s so amazing that our sport is accessible anywhere there’s water. The surf portion of the sport definitely has a dynamic, cool power in terms of marketing but there is a fairly high barrier to entry. No matter what, I just want to see more people enjoying themselves on the water!